Saturday, January 08, 2005

Feeling the Pain

After our first visit to Fenway, we found ourselves returning every year. We had a great time, although it was difficult to see the Sox lose at home. I remember one game in August 2002. The Red Sox were playing the A's, and the Sox were down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth. There were two outs and two men on base. Manny Ramirez stepped up to the plate.

At the time, I didn't know who Manny was; I only knew from overheard conversations in the grandstands that he was one of their best hitters. I had long since consumed my fingernails and had started in on the fingers themselves. My wife and I held our breaths as he swung. The ball sped towards the right field wall. It had the right height, but was it hit hard enough? The A's right fielder, Terrence Long, tracked the ball. If it went out of the park, the Red Sox would win. We leapt to our feet, the game was won, the ball was...caught, by a leaping Terrence Long. It sounds ridiculous to say this, especially in light of terrible events like the recent tsunami in South Asia, but we were crushed. It was our official inauguration into Red Sox fandom...a fanatical, bittersweet existence that is equal parts joy and agony.